SEATTLE (AP) – State transportation officials gave Seattle Tunnel Partners the OK on Tuesday to resume excavation on a pit being dug to reach and repair Bertha, the broken tunneling machine.

But officials still don’t know whether the recently discovered ground settlement was caused by all the water being drained from under the pit, according to Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement project spokeswoman Laura Newborn. Workers have been “de-watering” to reduce pressure from underneath and on the sides of the hole.

Digging was stopped last week after monitoring systems detected 1 inch to 1.4 inch of ground settlement near the pit – under a section of the State Route 99 viaduct and buildings in historic Pioneer Square. No significant sinking has occurred since Dec. 5 so they said the digging can resume, she said.

Gov. Jay Inslee, speaking after a transportation press conference in Medina, said he was confident that the…

Staying sober at a holiday party—whether it’s out of commitment to the 12 steps, your health or your tastebuds—certainly has its merits. But it’s not always easy to explain why you’re turning down a hot toddy, finds a new study in the Journal of Applied Communication Research.

Consider that 65% of adults who work full-time say they regularly drink alcohol, and drinking after work is an ingrained part of many companies’ culture. That after-hours socializing may come with other benefits, too. One study found that among full-time employees, men who drink alcohol earn 19% more than those who don’t, and women who drink make 23% more. Another found that drinking after work with colleagues eased job dissatisfaction.

To find out how non-drinkers handle boozy events, researchers from North Carolina State University interviewed full-time workers who don’t drink alcohol. After analyzing their responses, the authors report that most non-drinkers feel like…

Staying sober at a holiday party—whether it’s out of commitment to the 12 steps, your health or your tastebuds—certainly has its merits. But it’s not always easy to explain why you’re turning down a hot toddy, finds a new study in the Journal of Applied Communication Research.

Consider that 65% of adults who work full-time say they regularly drink alcohol, and drinking after work is an ingrained part of many companies’ culture. That after-hours socializing may come with other benefits, too. One study found that among full-time employees, men who drink alcohol earn 19% more than those who don’t, and women who drink make 23% more. Another found that drinking after work with colleagues eased job dissatisfaction.

To find out how non-drinkers handle boozy events, researchers from North Carolina State University interviewed full-time workers who don’t drink alcohol. After analyzing their responses, the authors report that most non-drinkers feel like…